Possible PSU issue - resolved
Possible PSU issue - resolved
To help others, consider this: the problem arose from using a Corsair GPU Riser Cable (Gen 3.0) with a board that had a Gen 5.0 PCI-e slot and a GPU rated Gen 4.0. The board mistakenly thought it was running the card at Gen 4.0, downgrading it to Gen 3.0 without realizing, which led to lockups.
Removing the cable resolved the issue.
Good evening,
I recently upgraded my PC from:
- Asus ROG Maximus IX Formula
- Intel Core i7-7700K
- Corsair Vengeance LED 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 3000MHz Dual Channel Kit
- Asus GTX3080 12GB
- Corsair iCue RGB Hub + 6 RGB Fans
- Corsair AIO H100I Elite
- 2 x Samsung M2 SSD
- INWIN 900w PSU (about 6 years old)
No problems for nearly six years.
To:
Asus ROG Strix Z790-F Gaming W
- Intel Core i9-13900KF
- Corsair Vengeance RGB EXPO 64G (2x32GB) DDR5 5200MHz Dual Channel Kit
- Asus GTX3080 12GB
- Corsair iCue RGB Hub + 6 RGB Fans
- Corsair AIO H100I Elite
- 2 x Samsung M2 SSD
- INWIN 900w PSU (about 6 years old)
I’m facing random complete freezes in Windows 11. Occurrences vary: sometimes immediately after logon, sometimes after a few minutes of boot, during driver installation, or occasionally without any signs.
I haven’t fully tested the RAM yet, but previous stress tests on the CPU showed no overheating or lockups (monitoring temps stayed below 97°C). I’m planning to run a full RAM test overnight using memtest86 to confirm.
Could this indicate I’m exceeding the power capacity of my PSU? Several calculators suggest I need around 800W, but they don’t factor in the iCue components. Considering the PSU’s age as well?
Thank you,
Dom
The actual model of your InWin power supply is what it truly is. Since InWin offers several 900W models, they vary greatly in quality, performance, and reliability. Some are quite good, while many are considered low quality. Being six years old, there might be various problems with the PSU, but none of them seem directly linked to its 900W rating. It's possible that the issue lies elsewhere.
What is more likely is that you're using AMD memory in an Intel machine. EXPO memory kits are specifically designed for AMD systems, not Intel. It seems there might be a timing or compatibility issue with your Intel memory controller, even if it passes Memtest86. I've seen many memory units pass testing yet still have problems, which often get fixed by switching to a different or better-suited kit.
Kits meant for Intel platforms usually encounter issues when used with AMD or Ryzen systems, and vice versa. Therefore, it's best to choose a kit that isn't intended for an AMD system. However, the PSU could still play a role, although it's less probable. Since the PSU is only six years old, it might be contributing, but nothing major has changed except the CPU power needs, and you didn't have issues before. Still, it's worth considering.
Just a quick check... review the bios to determine if turbo can be disabled.
Ok, so, humor me. I had posted something else but then decided, no, let's don't take that tact. What are you trying to get to with this? I'm just wondering because I'm not too sure what turbo being enabled could have to do with this specific type of problem since thermal compliance does not seem to be an issue?
Good morning,
Thank you for your thorough explanation. I didn’t realize memory performance could vary depending on the CPU or chipset. This might help clarify some other strange behaviors I’ve noticed. For example, at default BIOS settings, the system reports 4000MHz while others show 4800MHz. At one point, I used just a single module and didn’t encounter any issues for a long time—until suddenly the computer would lock up unexpectedly.
My power supply is an In-Win C900 Classic Series 900W 80 Plus Platinum Modular Power Supply, which has been in use since March 3rd, 2017. For most of that period, my PC remained powered on even during overnight tasks, meaning it was running at about 75% to 85% capacity, indicating regular use.
What symptoms would you expect from this memory problem? The only issue I’ve encountered is a total freeze of the operating system. I don’t see any corrupted files or damaged installations—just a complete halt. Additionally, the RESET button no longer reliably resets the PC, which is a new development since I wrote this.
Edit: I’ve also observed that disabling the DOCP profile in the BIOS worsens or increases the problem significantly. When I enable it again, the issue becomes less frequent and more random, except when running 3D mark on my GPU, which always freezes. I’m certain it’s not the GPU itself, as it has been tested on different boards, CPUs, and memory.
I’ve ordered a RAM kit that claims compatibility with this board and CPU. I’ll see if that resolves the issue. Meanwhile, I checked the TDP of my current GPU—it exceeds 350W. Since I have an older GPU rated at 180W, swapping them might help, but only if there’s a power supply limitation. If that doesn’t work, then it seems the problem lies with the RAM.
It's merely a demonstration of the ops call, showing they're open to testing.
I believe the problem is with the power supply unit. I reinstalled my old 1080, which had half the TDP of the 3080, and everything functioned fine. Running a benchmark on the GPU no longer caused any issues. I'm confident the issue isn't with the GPU since, over the weekend, I used the same board, CPU, and memory as before—everything worked perfectly. That means it must be the PSU.
Turbo increases power consumption significantly, possibly causing the system to exceed its limits.
Sure, I get it. I’m not sure what the outcome would be right now.
I’ve narrowed my problem down to the PSU, and turning off Turbo would likely make the system run more stably, even if with much lower performance.
A new PSU and RAM will arrive tomorrow, so I should have more information then.
Thanks for all your feedback.